Finally, it is only wince 1985 that the intellectual life of this region has been revived.Īccording to the 17th-century historian Abdurrahman As-Sadi, the history of the West African desert region could be divided into the rise and fall of three great empires – ancient Ghana, medieval Mali and the Songhay empire. In addition, French was imposed as the main language of the region, which meant that many owners lost the ability to read and interpret their manuscripts in the languages in which they had originally been written. During the colonial period, many of the owners hid their manuscripts or buried them. It begs the question as to why the worth of these manuscripts been recognised before now. Other manuscripts have revealed the unjust dealings of one family with another that may have happened a long time ago but have a bearing on today, such as in disputed land and property ownership. For example, many people who are descended from the servile classes but claimed noble descent have been caught out by evidence from the manuscripts. The manuscripts themselves are of special importance to their owners for a number of reasons.
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